Grapple.



F. MUELLER.

GRAPPLE.

APPLlCATlON FILED JAN.3,19H.

1,285,778. Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

g'wuw boz F. Moeller.

FRANK MOELLEB, OF TILLMAN, FLORIDA.

GRAPPLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 26, 1918.

Application filed January 3, 1917. Serial No. 140,420.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK MoELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tillman, in the county of Brevard and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gra-pples; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in grapples.

The object of this invention is the provision of a' grapple which is capable of withstanding a great deal of strain and one that can be readily forced into engagement with an object to be lifted from one place to the other, or for pulling roots and the like.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a grapple which is especially adapted for pulling up of palmetto and such species as blute or. dwarf palmetto, which s ecies have numerous roots and it is impossi le to remove from the ground by hand.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a grapple of this character which shall be simple, practical, and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost.

\Vith these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement'of parts hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claim hereto appended.

in the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved grapple made in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved pp Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the jaws in open position,

Fig. at is a side elevation of one jaw member in its entirety,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the manner in which the opening movement is limited,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the wear bushings in bores of the legs of the jaw members. 1

Like numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair of pivotally connected jaws. Each aw comprising in lts construction a central inverted U-shaped member 3, and the ends of the arms of each curved outwardly in opposite directions to define fingers 4 and 5, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Each of the inverted U-shaped' members 3 has secured to its arms on the outer side and adjacent the web thereof by the attaching portions 6 side or outer jaw members 7 and 8. Each of the side jaw members 7 and 8 has its upper ends bent at right angles to provide a horizontal arm 9. The extreme end of which is bent upwardly to provide the attaching portions 6 which are secured to the legs of the inverted U-shaped member 3 by suitable rivets 10, ,as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The lower ends of the side jaw members 7 and 8 are curved outwardly in the direction of the curvature of the ends of the arms of the U-shaped members and terminate into fingers 11 and '12. The legs of the inverted U-shaped members are held at a spaced distance apart and are reinforced against accidental collapsing by a diagonal brace 13 which has its ends bent angularly in opposite directions as at 14: and 15, which ends are secured to the inner sides of the legs of the U-shaped members by suitable rivets 16 to rigidly support the legs at a predetermined distance apart and prevent the collapsing of the same.

The outer leg members 7 and 8 are rigidly supported in spaced relation to the legs of the inverted U-shaped members 3 by diagonal brace members 17 which have their ends bent angularly in opposite directions as at 18 and have one end secured to the exterior of the legs of the inverted U-shaped member by rivets 18 and their opposite ends secured to the inner sides of the outer members 7 and 8 by suitable members 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The diagonal braces 13 and 17 rigidly support the legs at a predetermined distance apart and prevent the legs from being sheered and disengaged from one another during the lifting action.

The inverted U-shaped member 3 and the legs 7 and 8 of each of the jaw members are provided intermediate their ends with openings 20, which openings are in direct alinement with one another and adapted to receive therethrough the shaft 21 which pivotally connects one jaw member with the other. Rotatably mounted upon the shafts 21 and located between the leg members are the spools or bearings 22 which prevent the legs from collapsing laterally toward one another. The bores of the openings 20 are provided with a suitable bushing 22' which prevents the friction of the shaft 21 with the bores 20 thus weakening the legs of the inverted U-shaped members 3 and the legs 7 and 8.

The shaft is held against longitudinal movement by collars 23 which are secured to its opposite ends and bear against the outer leg members of the jaws as clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

One of the brace members 13 carried by one of the inverted U-shaped members 3 has its lower end beveled as at 2& and is adapted to engage the side edge of One leg of the other or adjacent inverted U-shaped member and thus limiting the closing movement of the two jaws when pivotally connected together or journaled upon the shaft 21.

A plurality of support arms 25 are secured by one of their ends to the exterior of the arms of the inverted U-shaped member 3 by suitable rivets 26. The supporting arms 25 extend laterally away from the arms of the inverted U-shaped members 23 and are pro vided with elongated slots 27 in which is adapted to be positioned a flat brace rod or reinforcing rod 28, the opposite ends of the reinforcing rod 28 are beveled on their outer edges as at 29 to facilitate the insertion of the opposite ends through the elongated slot, 27 in each of the arms 25. The inner smooth longitudinal edge of each of the reinforcing rods 28 are adapted to engage the inverted U-shaped members 3 and the arms 7 and 8 thus preventing the arms 7 and 8 from being drawn out of alinement with the arms of the inverted U-shaped members 3 during the lifting action.

The fingers t and 5, and 11 and 12 of each of the jaw members 1 and 2 are exteriorly and interiorly beveled to provide a cutting edge to facilitate the insertion of the fingers under an object to be lifted from the ground. The jaw members 1 and 2 and all the parts related thereto above described are con structed of suitable metal such as iron, steel, or the like suitable for the purpose.

The web portions of the inverted U-shaped members 3 of each of the jaw members 1 and 2 constitute handles and are adapted to have secured thereon a flexible chain 29, which chain isadapted to be secured to a suitable hoisting mechanism (not shown), and when lifted upwardly the jaw members will be drawn together thus forcing the fingers into engagement with the object being lifted and any danger of the same being released obviated.

lVhat is claimed is:

A grapple of the class described comprising a pair of pivoted duplicate jaw members, each aw comprising a substantially inverted U-shaped central member, an outer member having one end bent angularly and attached to the exterior of each arm of each inverted U-shaped member adjacent the upper end thereof, a shaft extended transversely through the arms of all of said members pivotally connecting the duplicate jaws together, diagonally extending braces secured to the opposing faces of the arm portions of the inverted U-shaped members and to and between the arms of the inverted U- shaped members and inner sides of the outer members, legs secured to and extending lat erally from each arm of each U-shaped memher and provided with longitudinally extending slots, and transversely arranged brace rods arranged in the slots of the legs or supporting arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK MOELLER.

\Vitnesses STEPAN FInLEs, JOHN Horrmonrnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

